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Going hog wild for LI ribs
Originally published: November 1, 2011 5:14 PM
Updated: November 1, 2011 5:16 PM
By PETER M. GIANOTTI, ERICA MARCUS AND JOAN REMINICK. peter.gianotti@newsday.com,, erica.marcus@newsday.com,, joan.reminick@newsday.com

Photo credit: Donna Alberico, 2009 | Allison, Ryan, Brianna and Peter Callahan eating at Smokin' Al's, a barbecue restaurant on Merrick Road in Massapequa Park.
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Going hog wild for LI ribs
Give us ribs. Meaty, smoky, tender pork ribs. Make them with a dry rub or slather them with secret sauce. Then throw down some extra napkins and go away. It's not a pretty sight to see us drenched in BBQ drippings. But we don't care.
We love the kind of magic that happens when meat meets wood smoke.
"It's all about the balance of the seasoning, the tenderness of a good piece of properly smoked meat," said Al Horowitz, owner of two Smokin' Al's Famous BBQ Joints, in Bay Shore and Massapequa Park.
But all pigs are not created equal, Horowitz said. Fat content can vary from one rack to the next. So, to keep those ribs reliable, Horowitz has racks checked for tenderness and moistness by gloved crew members, who open and touch them straight out of the smoker.
Who needs knives and forks? "People just like to eat with their hands," said Dan Monteforte, pitmaster at Swingbellys Beachside BBQ in Long Beach. "There's something soulful about that."
Here are some favorite places to hunker down with a rack:

DIXIE'S SMOKEHOUSE TEXAS B.B.Q. & ROTISSERIE
12 Indian Head Rd., Kings Park
631-292-2520, dixiessmokehouse.com
PRIME After being dry-rubbed and slow-smoked, the meaty baby back ribs come out tender and smoke-imbued. Get them unadorned or judiciously glazed with a piquant barbecue sauce. Half rack baby backs: $13.99; full rack, $21.99.
PLUS Slider sampler (burger, brisket, crabcake), St. Louis racks, behemoth beef ribs, juicy smoky brisket, fine pulled pork sandwich, succulent rotisserie chicken.

LILY FLANAGAN'S
528 Main St., Islip
631-581-1550, lilyflanagansbar.com.
PRIME Barbecue champ Willie B (aka Will Breakstone) parks his mobile smoker in the rear lot of this multipurpose spot (where he also heads up the kitchen). Lunch is the time to go, since the place becomes a noisy bar at night. Beneath their spice crust, Breakstone's baby backs harbor tender pink meat that pulls (rather than falls) off the bone, a sign of proper smoking. Quarter rack, $7.95, half rack, $13.95; full rack, $22.
PLUS From the outdoor smoker, you can also get pulled pork and corned beef. On Sundays, Breakstone grills burgers and hot dogs and offers barbecue specials.

MARA'S HOMEMADE
234 Jericho Tpke. (Muttontown Plaza), Syosset
516-682-9200, marashomemade.com
PRIME Tender and generous baby back ribs are in the "Arkansas barbecue" category, where Texas and Memphis meet. Plenty of rub, plenty of smoke, plenty of flavor. The Arkansas sauce is tangier; the Texas, sweeter. Half rack, $17; full rack, $25.
PLUS St. Louis-style ribs, smoked brisket, pulled pork, and for lovers of New Orleans, a crayfish boil. On the side: fried green tomatoes, collard greens, cheese grits, no-mayo coleslaw, jalapeño cornbread. And try those chargrilled oysters.

RUB BBQ
2367 Hempstead Tpke., East Meadow
516-731-4227, rubbbq.net
PRIME There are two varieties of baby backs on the menu at RUB, offshoot of the pioneering Manhattan barbecue joint. The regular, smoked over hickory for six hours, are on the austere side, toothsome and tasting of pork, smoke and little else. The 12-hour ribs get a slathering of apricot-mustard sauce and an additional six hours, which makes them sweeter and "fallin'-off-the-bone" tender. Half rack, $14.50; full rack (only option for 12-hour), $25.95.
PLUS Don't pass up the burnt ends, which are brisket deckles that have been smoked into sweet, charred oblivion. "The Baron" platter ($48.25; enough for 3 to 4) is a good introduction to the other smoked meats on the menu. RUB's aggressively seared burgers have a cult following.

SMOKIN' AL'S FAMOUS BBQ JOINT
19 W. Main St., Bay Shore, 631-206-3000;
4847 Merrick Rd., Massapequa Park, 516-799-4700
smokinals.com
PRIME Amply rubbed and smoked, the moist baby back ribs can be finished with barbecue sauces, from the original to "sweet talkin'" and "Rattlesnake." Also served dry-rubbed only on request. Half rack, $15.99; full rack, $22.99.
PLUS "Monster beef bones," or big beef short ribs; "burnt endz," crusty and chopped; Carolina pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw; pulled chicken; marinated and chopped beef brisket; and "the works," a combo of brisket, pulled pork, smoked chicken, smoked sausage, melted cheese and fried onions on a po'boy roll.

SWINGBELLY'S BEACHSIDE BBQ
909 W. Beech St., Long Beach
516-431-3464, swingbellysbbq.com
PRIME At this BBQ powerhouse, baby backs are slow-smoked five to seven hours. They're finely smoke-imbued and spice-pebbled. A wide variety of sauces (from sweet to Carolina vinegar BBQ) are fine, but beside the point. Baby back, half rack, $14.99, full rack, $24.99.
PLUS Rib tips, St. Louis ribs, "monster" chicken wings, fried pickle chips, smoked half chicken, Cubano sandwich made with smoked pork and brisket.

TENNESSEE JED'S
3357 Merrick Rd., Wantagh
516-308-3355, barbeque.li.
PRIME Pit master Francisco Gonzalez dry-rubs baby back ribs before smoking them about five hours with hickory and applewood. He adds another step, as well: The ribs are given a brief turn on the grill, to be lightly glazed with sauce or not. Half rack, $14, full rack, $21
PLUS A first-rate Maryland crabcake, rousing red Texas chili, smoky pulled pork sandwich, Texas beef ribs, St. Louis ribs and well-burnished chicken.

TOWNLINE BBQ
3593 Montauk Hwy., Sagaponack
631-537-2271; townlinebbq.com
PRIME Savory, meaty, dry-rubbed baby back ribs, under the Texas heading. Half-rack, $12.50; full rack, $25.
PLUS First-class pulled pork and beef short ribs, Texas chili, California vegetarian chili.
This restaurant is jammed in summer, so stopping by during the off-season is like getting an extra dessert.

WHAT'S IN A RIB?
Baby backs, spareribs and St. Louis-style ribs are all cut from the rib cage of a pig. The ribs are long bones that originate at the backbone (spine) and then curve around the abdomen, hugging the belly. Butchers cut rib cages into sections, or racks, and the names of those sections refer to which segment of the rib cage they come from.
1. Baby back ribs (or just plain back ribs) are the portion of the ribs closest to the backbone. They are usually cut 3 to 6 inches long, are meaty, not too fatty and command the highest price, the Cadillac of ribs, if you will.
2. Spareribs are what's left once the baby backs are cut off. Because these are the ribs that hug the belly -- the bacon -- they are very fatty and full of flavor, a favorite of rib lovers who want to get down and dirty. A rack of spareribs is not so neat as a rack of baby backs, with flaps of meat hanging off the ends. The ribs you find in a Chinese restaurant, which are roasted, not barbecued, are usually cut from the spareribs. In general, a flatter rib is more likely to be a spare than a baby back.

Blues, Views, and BBQ Westport , CT

This weekend is the blues, views, and BBQ in Westport CT. On Sunday 9/25. Dave from red planet and yours truly will be doing cooking demos starting at 12:30 pm.

Lady GaGa to wear ribs to VMA's

LADY GAGA'S
VMA PROPOSAL

• Posted on Jul 26, 2011 1:04 PM by Meagan Morris
• Leave a Comment

A company wants Lady Gaga to wear meat to the MTV VMAs again this year -- for a good cause, of course.

Lady Gaga made headlines in 2010 when she showed up to theMTV Video Music Awards wearing a meat dress. The dress served a purpose: Mother Monster wanted to show that we’re all the same on the inside, essentially we were "born this way."

Will lightning strike twice? One company certainly hopes so. PigoftheMonth.com put in a bid for Lady Gaga to wear their one-of-a-kind couture BBQ rib dress to this year’s VMAs.

"The sexy couture piece is made up of bones from their mouth watering Gourmet BBQ ribs and is a vision that the company cannot wait to reveal and refer to as 'Breathtaking Bone Art,'" PigoftheMonth.com told SheKnows in a statement.

"The company has teamed up with a well-known fashion designer whose designs have graced the runways of NY, London and Paris for the creative design not to be revealed until the VMAs if Lady Gaga does accept," they added.

Oh boy.

The campaign to get Gaga in their bones is the first push of the company’s "Bones for Hunger" marketing campaign. The program puts cash in the hands of starving artists for every rack of ribs ordered, eaten and mailed back to the company.

Mail bones after you eat the meat off them? Seems kind of morbid, even if it’s for a good cause. Can you imagine explaining to the postman why you’re mailing bones?

"The dress is expected to launch a spectrum of look alike trends after it has been debuted and will also be auctioned off following the debut to also benefit charity," PigoftheMonth.com added.

This has to be a joke, right? Nope!

"This is the opportunity for the dress to be viewed by millions of people at once. The amount of time and detail that has been placed into this couture piece has really been worth it and it is absolutely breathtaking. It was custom made to fit Lady Gaga’s unique style," PigoftheMonth.com marketing director Janice Bing told SheKnows.

"Our new marketing campaign is unique and original and those are the qualities that Lady Gaga continuously portrays. We definitely want her associated with the project."

Will Gaga accept? Stay tuned. In the meantime, we’re expecting PETA to respond in 3... 2... 1...

---

R2-BQ UDS

The Official Star Wars Blog » Ugly Drum Smoker R2-BQ

Ugly Drum Smoker R2-BQ

May 13, 2011

BBQ Chicken Competition-Style Recipe

Pulled Pork Parfait

Courtey of Darren Rovell (who is a great follow on Twitter if you enjoy pictures of baseball stadium food) comes this: the Pulled Pork Parfait, as seen in Milwaukee’s Miller Park.

Look at it.

So: amazing or gross? Or amazingly gross? I say: grossly amazing.

R2-BQ Jacked Up BBQ Cooking class

Any body getting tired of BBQ Cabin fever? I know I am!

R2-BQ and Jacked Up BBQ have teamed up to do a 1 day competition bbq class in NJ April 2,2011. If you are interested in the class or know somebody that is please pass this on. All of the details & sign up and forms can be found here: http://bbqacademy.blogspot.com/

Shake off some rust, come out for a great day of BBQ and help a great cause.Part of the proceeds from the class will be donated to Oceans of Love for children with cancer. For more information: http://www.ocean-of-love.org/

Dr. BBQ can calm a 'fever' with Super Bowl recipes - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Dr. BBQ can calm a 'fever' with Super Bowl recipes - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Dr. BBQ can calm a 'fever' with Super Bowl recipes

By Candy Williams, FOR THE PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, February 1, 2011

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Photos

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Ray Lampe
Submitted

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Mac and Cheese Soup
'The NFL Gameday Cookbook'

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Doenee's Nutella Bars
'The NFL Gameday Cookbook'

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Fish Tacos
'The NFL Gameday Cookbook'

Ray Lampe, Dr. BBQ

What: Appearances and cooking demos by the author of "The NFL Gameday Cookbook"

When and where:

• Noon-2 p.m. Friday, Giant Eagle, Mt. Royal Blvd., Shaler

• 4-6 p.m., Market District, Robinson

Cost: Free

Details:www.marketdistrict.com

For a city with a serious case of Super Bowl fever, the doctor is in -- and he's making a house call.

Ray Lampe -- affectionately known as Dr. BBQ -- has the prescription for Steelers fans who will be hosting get-togethers this weekend for the big game. What better way to "feed a fever" than with enough snacks and beverages to make it through four quarters of football and a post-game victory celebration.

He'll be offering some last-minute tips for serving winning crowd-pleasing party foods in two local appearances this weekend.

Lampe's cookbook, "The NFL Gameday Cookbook: 150 Recipes to Feed the Hungriest Football Fan from Preseason to the Super Bowl" (Chronicle Books, $24.95), outlines recipes for barbecued beef brisket, chicken, pulled pork, rack of lamb -- and even barbecued bologna, which he says is a delicacy in the South.

A Chicago native, he can empathize with Pittsburgh football fans who brave the most inclement weather to cheer on their team and become "weekend tailgate warriors" in stadium parking lots such as Heinz Field.

"I tailgated at Soldier Field for years. I understand," he says.

For those fans who opt to celebrate in front of the TV with kitchen-cooked treats, Dr. BBQ includes recipes for a variety of salsas, entrees and desserts. He suggests preparing foods ahead of time. When guests first arrive, offer dips with veggies or crackers and maybe some cookies or other sweet treats. While they munch and watch the pre-game show, the cook can work on getting the real food ready.

"One of my favorite recipes in my book is for Mac and Cheese Soup," he says.

His salsa selections range from a sweet citrus salsa that utilizes the supremes -- the tender flesh between the membrane -- of an orange and a lime, to his Screaming Yellow Salsa -- heavy on the bell peppers, garlic and habanero chile -- and Sweet Sticky Barbecue Salsa, which adds honey and lime to plum tomatoes, barbecue sauce and three kinds of hot peppers for a spicy kick.

"Homemade salsas are so much better than the stuff you buy in a jar," Lampe says. "And you can make them ahead and take them out when it's time."

The chef and author credits his grandmother for his early interest in cooking. For barbecue, it was his good friend, Bruce, he says, who signed them up for his first rib-cooking contest in downtown Chicago.

Lampe spent 25 years in the family trucking business until he decided to leave the Windy City for warmer weather to pursue his cooking career.

"It didn't go well the first couple of years," he says, "but it's pretty fun to be me these days."

In addition to four other cookbooks, Dr. BBQ has appeared on the Food Network, where he was a judge on the series "Tailgate Warriors with Guy Fieri" and was featured on the show "Best Thing I Have Ever Ate." His TV and radio appearances include "The Howard Stern Show" and NASCAR Sirius Radio.

Mac and Cheese Soup

This is a hearty and tasty soup that will be a favorite on those cold game days. This recipe is from "The NFL Gameday Cookbook."

• 10 slices thick-cut bacon
• Vegetable oil
• 1 medium-size onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 can (14 ounces) vegetable broth
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 tablespoon premium chile powder
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 4 cups (1 pound) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 1/2 cups dried elbow macaroni, cooked
• Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Cut the bacon strips into quarters. In a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove it to paper towels to drain.

Add a little oil to the pan if needed, then add the onion. Cook the onion for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and continue cooking until the onion is soft and lightly browned, for about 5 minutes more. Add the flour and mix well. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a simmer, stirring often. Add the milk, chile powder, pepper and mustard.

Return the soup to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the cheese and bacon and continue cooking and stirring until well blended, for about 4 minutes. Add the macaroni and return to a simmer. Remove from the heat and serve, sprinkling with parsley.

Makes 8 servings

Doenee's Nutella Bars

"Doenee is my sister," Lampe says. "Her real name is Denise, but when we were very young, I couldn't say Denise, so I mumbled Doenee when I called her, and the name stuck. This is her recipe, and they're great game-day food."

This recipe is from "The NFL Gameday Cookbook."

• Shortening to grease pan
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup Nutella (chocolate-hazelnut spread)
• 6 cups crisp rice cereal
• Lightly grease a 9- by 13-inch pan.

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the corn syrup, sugar and Nutella, stirring often until the sugar is melted. Remove from the heat and add the cereal. Toss well, coating all of the cereal. Transfer the mixture to the pan and push down to form an even layer in the pan.

Let cool for 30 minutes and cut into bars.

Makes 20 bars.

Fish Tacos with Citrus Salsa

This recipe is from "The NFL Gameday Cookbook."

• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon premium chile powder
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound catfish fillets, patted dry with a paper towel (or substitute sole, grouper, tilapia or monkfish)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 8 6-inch flour or corn tortillas
• Citrus Salsa (see recipe)

In a small bowl, combine the flour, chile powder, salt and pepper. Dust the fillets on both sides with the flour mixture.

Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Put the fillets in the pan and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, then flip and cook for an additional 4 to 5 minutes, or until the fish flakes when you poke it with a fork. Remove to drain on a paper towel. Transfer the fillets to a serving plate and break each into a few big pieces.

Divide the fish evenly among the tortillas and top with the Citrus Salsa.

Makes 8 tacos

Citrus Salsa

Using the fruit supremes in this salsa leaves a little texture to the fruit while getting rid of the pith and skin. To make the supremes, cut just the top and bottom off of the fruit, then stand it on one end and cut down the sides, removing the skin to reveal the fruit. All the skin and white pith should be removed. Now, cut the segments out in between the membrane and pull out the tender wedge of flesh known as the supreme.

• 3 large Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
• Supremes of 1 orange, chopped
• Supremes of 1 large lime, chopped
• 3 green onions, white and green parts sliced
• 1 jalapeño, finely chopped (remove the seeds if you don't want it spicy)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a glass bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Mix again before serving.

Makes about 2 cups.

Restaurant Owner Promises to Burn Bills If Jets Win

B

When it comes to the Jets and winning this year's Super Bowl, "Smokin" Al Horowitz is putting his money where his mouth is.

"If the Jets win, the barbeque is on us," said the owner of two popular rib joints in Bay Shore and Massapequa Park.

"We will refund all your money."

It's a simple bet: cater your football party with Smokin Al's and if the Jets win the Lombardi trophy in Dallas, the eats are free.

It's a bet Mike Betz, a Jets fan and carpenter from Seaford, was more than willing to take.

"The way the Jets are rolling, he could be in for an expensive Sunday," chuckled Betz, who has ordered $200 worth of ribs and side dishes for a crowd of 20 friends who will watch this Sunday's Jets-Steelers showdown.

"Free food! I mean, who could go wrong?" added Betz.

Smokin Al's expects to cater several hundred football parties over the next few weeks and hopes this "bet" will boost orders. The restaurant has set a five hundred dollar limit for any catering pay-off; still, two more Jets victories could prove costly.

In fact, Horowitz lost thousands after makiing a similar bet on the Giants three years ago. Big Blue, of course, went on to beat New England for the NFL championship.

"What do I get out of it? said Horowitz. "My customers could come to associate Smokin Al's with one of the greatest times- winning the Super Bowl championship."

Jets fans are praying it comes to pass.

"I think this is the year," said Betz, who will also celebrate his daughter's first birthday on Sunday. And, as he strapped on his vintage, leather Jets helmet, the Jets season ticket holder vowed to cater with Smokin Al's again if the Jets get past the Steelers.

BBQ 2011

Happy New Year! Resolutions? I started a few of them about a month or so ago to get a jump start . Gonna add a few I suppose. One of them is deciding what I am doing with this blog. Looking back at 2010 other than relaying some random BBQ news I really didn't produce any quality blogs. Even when I had something to write about I would start a draft and never finish them. Then i would decide it was to late. I have been spending much less time on BBQ forums as of late. Nothing personal to many of my friends out there on them. Just a little bit sick and tired of forum politics as well as friendships that seem to take a backseat to the forums themselves. For most of last year I was contemplating getting out of competition BBQ. Then comes September and I win a little contest and I get bit by the bug, again....